How to Lead, 5th Edition

Chapter 2

Why your idea matters

You need a compelling idea of the future for five reasons:

1. To raise your ceiling of success
2. To gain control over your business or unit
3. To create a clear sense of priorities: what you will and will not do
4. To give hope and purpose to your team
5. To demonstrate you are making a difference

Raise your ceiling of success

Your success is limited by your ambition. You are unlikely to achieve more than you plan for, unless you hope to get lucky. But hope is not a method and luck is not a strategy.

Your ambition is defined by your idea. If your idea is to reduce the use of paper clips in your office, you will succeed more or less against that goal. If your ambition is to set up a new business, you raise your ceiling ...